Travel Weekly's Caribbean E-letter: June 3, 2004

THE OWNER and management staff of the Best Western
Manchebo Beach Resort in Aruba opted to operate the 71-room resort
as an independent property and terminated their 25-year management
contract with Best Western, effective June 1. Edgar Roelofs,
director of operations for Manchebo, said the resort and Best
Western had had a "mutual, longstanding beneficial experience, but
we have chosen to set a new direction for the property." With the
August planned opening of its new Caribbean Balinese-style spa
facility, the resort will change its name to Manchebo Beach Resort
& Spa. A new logo will be unveiled later this summer. The spa
will offer massages, body scrubs and wraps, facials, wet room
treatments, a steam room and a whirlpool. The resort, which is
located on Eagle Beach, has two restaurants and a beach bar and
grill, the services of which are included in its optional Club Pega
all-inclusive program. Travel agents can continue to book through
Ralph Locke Islands at (800) 223-1108 or the resort's Web site at
www.manchebo.com.

PAUL MOREIRA, former president and CEO of
Caribbean Star Airlines, left the company June 1 to return to
Canada "to pursue professional interests," according to R. Allen
Stanford, the airline's founder and chairman of the board. The
Antigua-based carrier expects to appoint a new CEO shortly. Edward
Gilkes, general manager, commercial, and Gerald Fredericks, vice
president, flight operations and technical services, are handling
day-to-day operations on an interim basis. Caribbean Star serves 13
Caribbean destinations with 88 daily flights on 10 aircraft and has
carried more than 1.5 million passengers since its founding in
January 2000, according to airline officials.

AMERICAN AIRLINES and AIR
JAMAICA extended the booking deadline for their Caribbean
fall fare package sales to June 18 from June 11. The packages,
offered by a number of operators, features savings of up to 35% on
air and land arrangements for travel from Aug. 16 through
mid-December.

ARUBA'S tourism figures for April were up 20.5%
over April 2003, and that was propelled by a 25% increase in
visitors from the U.S. Year-to-date visitor numbers increased 16%
compared with the same period in 2003, with a 17% jump in U.S.
arrivals, according to the Ministry of Tourism.

TAKEOFFS
• Delta launched a daily flight from New York [JFK] to Santo
Domingo, Dominican Republic, June 1. To celebrate the new flight,
Delta offers double SkyMiles on the route through Aug. 31.
• Exuma and San Salvador airports in the Out Islands of the Bahamas
received approval for night flights from the U.S. Although most
airports in the Bahamas, with the exception of Nassau and Freeport,
only operate between sunrise and sunset for safety reasons, Exuma
and San Salvador have upgraded their airports to accept night
operations. Other airports, including Treasure Cay, Marsh Harbour,
North Eleuthera and Rock Sound, also are upgrading.
• On Nov. 3, American will launch nonstop service three days a week
-- Sundays, Wednesdays and Fridays -- from Miami to St. Kitts.
Effective Jan. 31, the flight will increase to five times a week,
Wednesdays through Sundays. The flights originate at JFK with a
stop in Miami.

TOUR TIDBITS
• Apple Vacations' seven-night all-inclusive packages from
Charlotte, N.C., to Punta Cana, Dominican Republic, offer discounts
up to 50% off for travel through August. All-inclusive rates with
air start at $500 per person, double, at the Barcelo Villas Bavaro
and also include a 50% discount on greens fees. For travel through
June, Apple Vacations offers a similar program from Tampa, Fla.,
with rates from $600 per person, double, at the Allegro Punta Cana
by Occidental. For details, visit www.applevacations.com.
• Inter Island Tours' five-night fall sale packages to the U.S.
Virgin Islands with roundtrip air on American must be booked by
June 18 for travel from Sept. 10 to Dec. 14. Rates start at $589
per person, double, at Secret Harbor Beach Resort in St. Thomas,
including roundtrip air from JFK. Add-on fares are available from
most major U.S. cities. In addition, the firm has a special
four-night package to the Westin Rio Mar Beach Resort and Golf Club
in Puerto Rico that must be booked by July 10 for departures
between July 5 and 11. The price starts at $449 per person, double,
including roundtrip air on American from JFK or Newark,
accommodations and taxes. Add-on fares available from most major
cities. For details, visit www.interislandtours.com.
• TNT Vacations relaunched its Hurricane Protection Guarantee, a
program similar to those operated by other firms doing business in
or based in the Caribbean region, including Sandals and SuperClubs.
TNT's plan, valid for clients who book Caribbean travel though Dec.
11, covers TNT destinations covered by its charter flights, even
Aruba where hurricanes are basically non-existent. The firm will
offer a free alternate charter vacation, including roundtrip air,
at the same property or any other TNT Vacations resort of the same
value or less for the same number of nights booked, irrespective of
the number of days affected by the storm. For further info, visit
www.tntvacations.com.